Guide to the Cover Letter

Guide to the Cover Letter
Introduction
Career
Exploration
Resumé &
Cover Letter
Networking
Job
Applications
Interview
Almost every formal job application involves the submission of a cover letter along with the resume
and standard job search etiquette requires it. Not submitting a cover letter may be perceived as
lazy, ill –informed, or not being serious about the position in question. Cover letters are utilized as a
first screening, and provide employers with an important first impression of your candidacy and
communication skills. Utilizing this guide, you will find:
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Content: What you should include in a cover letter
Formatting: How to structure your letter
Sample Cover Letter
Best Practices
Content
While a resume is a summary of your background and qualifications, a cover letter explains why
you’re sending the resume. In other words, it serves as a complement, not duplicate, of your
resume. It may take a more story-like approach or in-depth explanation of certain important skills
or experiences mentioned in your resume.
Heading
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Example
Lisa Smith
300 Main Street,
Los Angeles, CA 92804
(000) 000-0000
lisasmith@email.com
Provide your contact information
o Name
o Address
o Phone Number
o Email Address
Include the date you are writing the letter.
Include the address of the company
o If at all possible use the name of the
specific person or individual in charge or
interviewing or hiring. This can be
acquired through searching the company
website or online directory or calling to
inquire. Sending your application to a
specific person increases your chances of
your candidacy being taken seriously.
December 18, 2012
Mr. Daniel Grey
Saint Mary’s Hospital
200 Job Rd.
Madison, WI 48105
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Introduction
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Example
Greet/provide a salutation to the specific person
with whom you are corresponding.
If upon searching you still cannot locate a name,
“Dear Hiring Manger” will suffice.
State the position you are applying for and where
you heard about it.
Name drop if you have a good connection.
o However, make certain that your reader
has a positive relationship with that
person if you are going to include their
name.
State why you believe you are a good match for the
position and the organization, including 2-3 key
qualifications that you will address in the rest of
the letter (these items should match up with your
resume).
Body/Argument
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I was elated to hear about your new position of LEAN
Manager from my colleague, Mary Dalton who works in the
St Mary‘s Health System Operations Team, and would like to
meet with you to discuss this opportunity further. With the
advent of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the
position presents an excellent opportunity to work on some
of the complex challenges currently facing the healthcare
industry, as well as St Mary’s. I believe my 10 years’
experience as a healthcare operations consultant and
manager have given me both the depth and breadth of skill
and experience needed by St Mary’s to tackle challenges
which include among others, rising budgetary constraints
and system inefficiencies.
Example
After speaking with Ms. Dalton, its seems St. Mary’s is facing
some unique goals, which include, St Mary’s goal to increase
profit through eliminating waste and reducing inefficiencies
by reaching a six sigma level of 3.5- an inspiring
organizational goal. My LEAN Six Sigma Master Blackbelt
certification, as well as 10 years’ experience in teaching and
applying LEAN principles in practice, leads me to believe my
background and skill closely matches this goal. This can be
further illustrated by the 2 year project I lead with the
University of Michigan Health system with regard to
inventory management of heart apparatus at the
Cardiovascular Center. This process improvement project
enabled the organization to save $1.6M per year by
uncovering a series of complex sub-optimization flaws and
re-engineering order entry processes. These skills of data
collection, value stream mapping, advanced root cause
analysis and change management will help St Mary’s achieve
both its short term budget constraints and its long term goal
of achieving a 3.5 sigma level.
Tailor cover letter for each job application.
Focus each paragraph on one qualification that
shows you are a good match for the job and
organization.
Give specific examples to prove where you got
these skills and how you have used them before
(see Support your Claims)
Tell a story or cite examples; do not just list your
skills (see Support your Claims)
Refer to your resume; do not repeat it.
Do not use contractions.
Closing

Dear Mr. Grey:
Example
Close with a strong reminder of why you are a good
match for the job and the organization.
Request an interview in some way.
Provide contact information.
Express appreciation for consideration
Sign your name and print it underneath.
Include the term ‘Enclosure’ after your name to
indicate the inclusion of your resume
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I believe my work experience in LEAN will provide the
leadership needed in your Operations team to assist St
Mary’s in attain its waste reduction and streamlining goals. I
look forward to meeting with you to discuss the job position
further. I will contact you before January 15th to discuss my
application. If you wish to contact me, I may be reached at
000 000 0000, or by e-mail at lisasmith@email.com. Thank
you for your time and consideration.
Lisa Smith
Enclosure
Format and Structure
We suggest a conventional or traditional business approach to cover letters. While there may be
creative positions that call for a different approach, the majority of applications, and standard
convention, calls for a strict business format. Impress readers with excellent content as well as
elegant, clear formatting. Take note of the following:
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Single-space your cover letter
Leave a space between each paragraph
Leave three spaces between your closing (such as "Sincerely" or "Sincerely Yours") and
typed name
Leave a space between your heading (contact information) and greeting (such as, "Dear Mr.
Smith")
Either align all paragraphs to the left of the page, or indent the first line of each paragraph
to the right
Use standard margins for your cover letter, such as one-inch margins on all sides of the
document
Center your letter in the middle of the page; in other words, make sure that the space at the
top and bottom of the page is the same
Sign your name between your salutation and typed name
Include the word Enclosure after your name to indicate the inclusion of a resume
Always match the paper and font style of your resume to your cover letter
Sample Cover Letter
Lisa Smith
300 Main Street,
Los Angeles, CA 92804
(000) 000-0000
lisasmith@email.com
December 18, 2012
Mr. Daniel Grey
Saint Mary’s Health System
200 Job Rd.
Madison, WI 48105
Introduction
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How you heard about the position and mention someone at
organization that you know
Your objective: An Interview
Brief background on the organization and its goals
How your experience matches the position and how you
will help the organization achieve its goals
Dear Mr. Grey:
I was elated to hear about your new position of LEAN Manager from my colleague, Mary Dalton who
works in the St Mary‘s Health System Operations Team, and would like to meet with you to discuss
this opportunity further. With the advent of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the
position presents an excellent opportunity to work on some of the complex challenges currently
facing the healthcare industry, as well as St Mary’s. I believe my 10 years’ experience as a
healthcare operations consultant and manager have given me both the depth and breadth of skill
and experience needed by St Mary’s to tackle challenges which include among others, rising
budgetary constraints and system inefficiencies.
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Body: Paragraph 1
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Expand on organizational goals and mission (through company research or contact
with internal advocate)
How you can help the organization reach its goals
Specific example to support your claim (based on information in resume)
How this skill or experience will help the organization
After speaking with Ms. Dalton, its seems St. Mary’s is facing some unique goals, which include, St
Mary’s goal to increase profit through eliminating waste and reducing inefficiencies by reaching a
six sigma level of 3.5- an inspiring organizational goal. My LEAN Six Sigma Master Blackbelt
certification, as well as 10 years’ experience in teaching and applying LEAN principles in practice,
leads me to believe my background and skill closely matches this goal. This can be further
illustrated by the 2 year project I lead with the University of Michigan Health system with regard to
inventory management of heart apparatus at the Cardiovascular Center. This process improvement
project enabled the organization to save $1.6M per year by uncovering a series of complex suboptimization flaws and re-engineering order entry processes. These skills of data collection, value
stream mapping, advanced root cause analysis and change management will help St Mary’s achieve
both its short term budget constraints and its long term goal of achieving a 3.5 sigma level.
Body: Paragraph 2
You may want to include a second ‘argument’ paragraph which would include further detail
about the specific position requirements, your claims as to how you meet these requirements
and an example to substantiate the claim, finally, tie this back by ending the paragraph with how
this will help the organization.
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Repeat your objective: An Interview
Provide contact information
Thank the reader and close the letter in a professional manner
Provide name and signature
Enclosure (to indicate the inclusion of resume)
I believe my work experience in LEAN will provide the leadership needed in your Operations team
to assist St Mary’s in attain its waste reduction and streamlining goals. I look forward to meeting
with you to discuss the job position further. I will contact you before January 15th to discuss my
application. If you wish to contact me, I may be reached at 000 000 0000, or by e-mail at
lisasmith@email.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(3 spaces)
Lisa Smith
Enclosure
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Best Practices
Be Targeted
As with resumes, the more customized and targeted to a specific company and position, the better
and more effective your cover letter will be. Ensure you understand and address skills or
experiences sought by the hiring manager and address them specifically. By mentioning something
about the company (through website research or networking) such as new initiatives or having met
someone who works there, you display commitment and seriousness to the company and position
at hand. Never copy and paste the same cover letter! It is obvious to the reader. (Please see our
Networking Guide for further information as to how to facilitate connections with unknown
contacts at potential employers.)
For Informal applications
Sometimes a connection may offer to pass your resume along to a potential employer- in these
cases candidates need not necessarily create a formal cover letter. However, including a brief cover
letter thanking your friend/relative/connection for his kindness in passing on your resume
provides an opportunity to display your communication skills if your friend forwards on the letter
to his contact. Remember to also include a reminder of your goal (job, internship) and career
interest.
Be reader-centered
Position your cover letter on what you can do for the employer rather than what the job will do for
you. Certainly the job will provide you with experience, exposure to solving real world problems
and valuable contacts, but remember the point of your cover letter is to get the employer interested
in you based on their needs, not yours!
Length
A cover letter should be no longer than one page. Approximately, three to four paragraphs in length
with ample top and bottom margins. Although there are exceptions (e.g. an experience needs to be
described in more detail), in general, a one-page letter with an introduction, a one or two paragraph
body, and a conclusion is usually sufficient. Do not expand to two pages.
Support your claims
The main weakness in most cover letters is unsupported claims. Job applicants frequently describe
their strongest attributes in glowing terms, but fail to give examples or illustrations which lend
credibility to their statements. One way to ensure you’ve supported your statements is to use the
“claim, data, warrant” method devised by Stephen Toulmin which provides a method for identifying
parts of a written argument. The claim is your statement—your conclusion about yourself. Data is
what you use to support that statement, and the warrant is the bridge which connects the two or
relates them to each other.
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Example
In sentence “I am a very responsible person and would do an excellent job for you in this
position,” you have two claims. The first claim is “very responsible person” and the second is
“would do an excellent job,” but it does not include any data or warrant. These are easy claims
for anyone to make and thus, not very persuasive.
Here is an example of how the same idea could be better expressed using data and the warrant:
“I am a very responsible person. For example, when I worked for Jones, Inc., I was put in charge
of new customer accounts and, after three months, allowed to work independently of any
supervision. Nine months later I was commended on my performance appraisal for being
‘diligent, hard-working and responsible.’ Because you’ve indicated responsibility is a key
component of this job, I believe I would do an excellent job for you.”
KEY TAKE AWAY
Supporting your claims with data, and connecting ideas with examples, will enhance your cover
letter and make it easier to read and more persuasive.
Should I leave it up to the employer to contact me?
A week to ten days after sending a cover letter, follow up with a phone call or email to the employer.
It is acceptable to mention at the conclusion of your letter that you will follow-up. This is a way to
show your sincere interest in the job and illustrate your continued commitment. Potential
employers may also read your documents with more interest if they know you will be calling them
in the future. However, if you tell the hiring manager you will follow-up, it is important to do so. It
will not reflect well on you if you forget to call or email a potential employer when you said you
would. If you do not feel comfortable informing the hiring manager when you will contact them, ask
your readers to contact you, and thank them for their time. For example:
“Please contact me at 000 000 0000, or by e-mail at lisasmith@email.com. I look forward to
speaking with you. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
References
Do not include “References available upon request” in your cover letter, this is assumed by the
hiring manager. Rather, to save the hiring manager trouble, you could simply include the standard
three references (full names, and contact information including telephone number and email) in
your application on a separate sheet.
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Review
Always proofread your cover letter very carefully before sending it. Typo’s and grammatical errors
speak poorly to your potential candidacy and research shows that recruiters for businesses notice
mistakes in grammar and syntax. It may be helpful to put it aside for a couple of days, if time allows,
and then reread it. You may find sentences that could be improved or grammatical errors. It is also
always helpful to have a second or third pair of eyes on the document. Ask friends or colleagues to
review the letter and revise as you see fit.
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References
Cover Letters: How to Write a Cover Letter
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverletters/a/aa030401a.htm
How to Write a Cover Letter. http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2011/03/24/how-towrite-a-cover-letter/
Owl Purdue Online Writing Lab: What is A Cover Letter.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/01/
University of Michigan Ross School of Business: The OCD Guide to the Cover Letter (MBA)
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